Unifying Germany: A Nation of the People

Despite Germany’s long and rich history, it is a surprisingly young nation, founded January 18, 1871, almost 100 years after the thirteen American colonies declared their independence from the British Empire. The long road to German unification was rough. The German people struggled to find their identity amidst many years of political, economic, and social change in Europe. But eventually they did, and the people’s fervent patriotism, combined with a perfect storm of revolts and wars, led the German states to finally come together.

The German states tried to unify many times before 1871, but the timing was not right. Following the 30 Year’s War, the region faced crippling poverty and a stagnant economy. While other European nations adopted reforms, the German principalities “possessed neither the financial means nor the will to mold themselves into new-style states with modern administrations” (70). The region lacked a sense of unity, was devastated by war, and had no national hero to look up to. However, in the wake of the Peace of Westphalia, the seeds of a German identity began to sprout. Southern German culture was heavily influenced by Catholic countries like France, Italy, and Spain, giving the region a rich, “cosmopolitan splendor” (75). Later, in the years of peace following the Seven Year’s War, leaders spoke of reforming the Holy Roman Empire and forming a third Germany, a federation of 300 small territories, alongside Prussia and Austria. There was still, however, no real sense of what it meant to be “German.”

A unique German identity really began as a group of people united under a common language. Following Martin Luther’s translation of the Bible into his dialect, Protestants worked on a standard language. The language further developed when German princes needed the help of educated civil servants in an attempt to keep tabs on their territories. They therefore supported academics, fostering an educated middle class during the 18^th century. Literature, drama, and opera that developed under this common language helped to create “unified opinions and taste.” Germans began to identify with and embrace a “modern spirit,” forging national identity (89). This new idea of a German nation, united by language and culture, however, remained in the minds of the educated.

Politically, Napoleon’s victories in 1806 were a catalyst for reform of German states and national discovery.

The Confederation of the Rhine was made up of German states,
formed following Napoleon's defeat of Austria and Russia,
and lasted from 1806 to 1813.
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The Confederation of the Rhine was formed, adopting a modern civil law code and eliminating aristocratic privilege and serfdom. Germans begin to resent French presence and long for their own identity and freedom, creating a national movement demanding liberation. Patriotic feelings sparked small insurrections, but these were swiftly defeated. Napoleon’s losses in Russia, however, caused patriotic excitement, uprisings, and a Prussian call to arms. Schulze called the ensuing Wars of Liberation a “people’s war” since the population was “seized by a fever of excitement that made the ‘German nation’ a direct, personal, experience” (106).

Following the Prussian victory and the Congress of Vienna in 1815, the German Confederation was formed, a loose alliance of 39 states under an Austrian emperor. Citizens demanded a free, unified Germany, but state ministers agreed to suppress thoughts of revolution and liberation. The peacetime again brought the development of the arts and architecture, and fostered a growing dislike of the French. The people were united through cultural unity and a mutual hatred for the French, especially following the Rhine crisis of 1840.

The German Confederation: a loose alliance of 39 states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 (indicated by red border)
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Soon, promised reforms faltered, bringing new tensions and political unrest. Combined with a famine and overcrowded cities in 1847, many groups call for a federal German state held in check by a parliament, to which the German Confederation has no answer. Following the French king’s deposition in 1848, unrest breaks out across Europe and sparks protests in German territories demanding a German national parliament. The German National Assembly is formed and crafts a constitution guaranteeing basic freedoms and an elected national government. The founders could not, however, agree on who would be part of this new nation. The assembly had no real power and was shut down by the larger European powers, who didn’t want to disrupt the status quo.

Following this defeat, the region saw much industrial development and an economic boom, creating mobility, improved communication, and jobs. The pot of unrest began to bubble again and a wave of nationalism again swept the public. Hostilities against the French again fostered a demand for a sovereign German state.

Otto von Bismarck, Prussian chancellor
and architect of German unification
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The realization of the people’s demands came in view following Otto von Bismarck’s installment as prime minister in 1862. He began setting plans in motion to expand Prussia’s power and sought a reason to fight Austria. Italy’s decision to side with Prussia prompted Austrian troop mobilization. The ensuing war ended with the battle of Königgrätz in 1866, a decisive move towards unity. Previously, Prussia abolished the German Confederation’s constitution, prompting the south Germans to side with Austria. After the war, French aggression heightened tensions, which eventually catalyzed unity. Napoleon III was pushed to declare war in 1870 against the Prussians and German unification happened at the same time.

After many years of failed attempts, the time was right and public patriotism finally pushed the allied south and north to unify and form the German Empire. Both the nobility and parliament approved the nation’s legitimization and King William I of Prussia was named the emperor in 1871.

The German Empire, made up of unified German states following the Franco-Prussian war. The southern German states joined with the Prussian-controlled Northern German Confederation.
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The German flag, inspired by the colors worn by German soldiers during the Napoleonic Wars
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